When Kimberly Chao graduated as valedictorian of her high school class in 2000 and decided to move from Georgia to Massachusetts to study finance and engineering at MIT, her motivations were pretty simple.
“I was 17 back then,” she said, laughing. “I’ll be quite honest, part of my motivation to go to MIT instead of Georgia Tech was because I knew I’d get a new winter wardrobe.”
Despite her interest in new clothes, it worked out for her. She knew she wanted to see the world, and from MIT she got a job on Wall Street. At 42, she’s lived in London, Hong Kong and now New York City, and helps people with their finances.
Bill Clinton was president when Chao graduated. Faith Hill’s “Breathe” was the No. 1 Billboard song. The Atlanta Braves still played downtown. “The Real Housewives of Atlanta” and Facebook didn’t exist yet.
Now a quarter of a century later, things are a lot different. Technology has advanced so far that everyone has a smartphone and AI can serve as your personal assistant. This year’s valedictorians were born during the Great Recession, were in middle school when the COVID-19 pandemic hit and are graduating during a time of unusual political unrest in the United States.
Credit: Photos courtesy Kimberly Chao
Credit: Photos courtesy Kimberly Chao
But the metro Atlanta students graduating at the top of their classes have goals, hopes and concerns similar to past valedictorians. They worry about the economy, the environment and politics. Unlike some earlier grads, they’re also thinking about increasing political polarization and whether technology is making human interaction impossible.
“Life, in my opinion, leaves so much variability in results that I am uncertain of what’s going to happen in the future,” said Niquitta Nijimbere, valedictorian of Redan High School in DeKalb County who plans to study biochemistry at Vanderbilt University. “Despite this, I am confident of my ability to tackle the uncertain nature of the future.”
Many of this year’s valedictorians are planning to stay close to home and attend Georgia Tech and Emory University. Others are going to Harvard, Princeton, Stanford and Yale. They plan to study engineering, computer science, economics and medicine. They wonder if their plans will come to fruition, or if life will have something else in store for them.
Tammeca Rochester, valedictorian of Douglass High School’s class of 2000, remembers the fear of the unknowns — like whether she’d be smart enough or if she could pay for college. But looking back now, she knows how the unknowns shaped her life. She studied engineering and mathematics at Spelman College and Georgia Tech and interned at NASA. She worked as an engineer for a while, then got into marketing. And now she owns her own fitness studios in New York City.
“Life is about changes. It’s about enjoying the journey,” she said. “I do believe that success is about having a plan but it’s also about your willingness to adapt and pivot.”
Credit: Photos courtesy Tammeca Rochester
Credit: Photos courtesy Tammeca Rochester
It’s hard for this year’s graduates to picture what their lives will look like 25 years from now. Who knew then we’d have self-driving vehicles or space tourism? They hope they’ll have their dream jobs and families of their own. They hope they’ll be happy.
“(The) possibilities excite me, but also worry me,” said Youngjin Kim, valedictorian at Mill Creek High School, who plans to study engineering at Princeton University. “There are so many pathways to take and choices to consider, and I fear making the ‘wrong’ choice or living my life regretting what could‘ve been.”
The advice Chao wishes she could give her younger self is the same thing she’d tell this year’s graduates:
“I wish I knew everything was going to be OK,” she said. “All the worries I had — I wouldn’t have given myself any other information. It was partly the not knowing that led me here.”
Class of 2025 guess what life will look like in 2050
“Hard to tell. Given technological innovations are growing at an exponential rate, I would not be half-surprised if we managed to terraform Mars by then.”
— Ramin Goziyev, Fulton Innovation Academy, plans to study chemical engineering at Georgia Tech
“I want to come back to Georgia after finishing my degree at Harvard. Hopefully, I’ll have started a family with a wife and kids in 25 years. I’ve always wanted to start my own business as well, so I imagine myself being an entrepreneur. I’ll stay involved at my church too, growing in my relationship with God.”
— Kelly Lenox, Archer High, plans to study economics at Harvard College
“I’ll be living with my wife and kids, working a job that I love, and the economy will not be in ruins (fingers crossed).”
— Yonatan Nemenman, Chamblee High, plans to study chemistry at Emory University
“I can see life 25 years from now will be controlled by machines, robots and all kinds of new technology.”
— Loc “Louis” Nguyen, Brookwood High, plans to study biomedical engineering at Georgia Tech
“I think life will look totally different in 25 years from now. Technology will replace lower skilled jobs and those without human touch. Additionally, education will fundamentally change with unlimited information at our fingertips. Finally, human-technological interactions will be completely different and more seamless than we have ever experienced before.”
— W. Bennett Oyler, Riverwood International Charter School, plans to study computer science at Stanford University
“So much could occur. I’ll be 43 years old, which is crazy to imagine. I don’t have a clear image of what life would look like but hopefully, we all pursued the life we wanted. And hopefully we were able to introduce a good change and contribution to society.”
— Angie Hernandez Chavez, Cedar Grove High, plans to study business administration at Emory University
“I have hope for the future because of the bright voices in this Class of 2025. We will not allow for oppression to overtake the world. 25 years from now, there will be liberation across the world, people will not stay subjected forever, and all we have to lose is our chains.”
— Danielle Kangnigan, Banneker High, plans to study physics and mathematics at New York University
“I think life will be comfortable and the world will hopefully be a better place for everyone.”
— Beyoungtis Tarver, Columbia High, plans to study fine arts at Kennesaw State University
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